'United Stasi of America': Light Artist Wanted by Berlin Police

[xchrom]

http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/united-stasi-of-america-artist-wanted-by-berlin-police-a-910818.html


Berlin police believe that this message, projected onto the wall of the US Embassy in Berlin on Sunday night, could be a violation of laws against insulting representatives of foreign states.



It was meant to be a publicity stunt -- a political prank aimed at voicing displeasure over vast US Internet surveillance and spying activities. But Oliver Bienkowski, the light artist who projected the words "United Stasi of America" on the US Embassy late on Sunday night now finds himself in hot water with the Berlin police, with authorities having opened an investigation.

Officially, a Berlin spokesman confirmed on Friday, Bienkowski is suspected of having violated a law against "insulting organs and representatives of foreign countries." So far, however, the artist has not yet even been approached by the authorities, though the Berlin police said he would soon be invited in for questioning.

The projection, which included an image of Internet activist and hacker icon Kim Schmitz, aka "Kim Dotcom," took place at around 1 a.m. on Sunday night and lasted for a mere 30 seconds before police guarding the embassy asked him to move on. "Stasi" is a reference to the infamous East German Ministry for State Security, which managed a vast network of spies and informants in communist times -- but which also persecuted the state's political opponents.

Bienkowski told SPIEGEL ONLINE that his goal was to "do things that people will see and try to get them to think." Specifically, he wanted to voice criticism of US web surveillance, the vast scope of which was revealed recently by whistleblower Edward Snowden. Bienkowski even spent €5,000 out of his own pocket to finance the costs of the guerilla light projection.

[Atman]

1. You scared me there...

I thought Thomas Kinkade had returned from the dead!

[xchrom]

2. AAAAHHHHH!

[dipsydoodle]

3. lol

Can't they just let it go.

[Ichingcarpenter]

5. Make a law against Photons

I read that the US has to complain and they haven't so far.... he gave the embassy 30 seconds of photon performance art. The police asked him to stop and he did and they let him go.


Now something new has come up. and they want him to come in to talk to them.

Must be a PR thing with the US and Berlin to appease somebody

[geek tragedy]

4. " a law against insulting organs and representatives of foreign countries"

And the Germans were accusing the USA of being too much like the Stasi?

Remind me to never again take criticism from Germany seriously.